ROUTES AND RATES. Key areas of service provision include: • Ownership and operation of the icebreaking research and resupply vessel Aurora Australis in support of the Australian Antarctic Division’s Antarctic program. They may be less than a week old and have no money but a group of Antarctic enthusiasts is making an 11th-hour bid to secure Australia's retiring icebreaker the Aurora Australis … The ship was built in Newcastle by a company called P&O Maritime Services, who then leased it to the Australian Antarctic Division for 30 years.

Haining is joining Aurora Expeditions' new ship, ... Ready for a new challenge, she joined the Aurora family in November 2017 and is very excited to tell everyone about our stunning and unique destinations!

General manager of operations and safety Charlton Clark said the trip would mark the end of 31 years of operations. The conditions at sunrise and sunset are normally too bright for an aurora to be visible, and a full moon will also reduce your chances of seeing the Aurora Australis. With all this in mind, winter is the perfect time of year to see the southern lights in Tasmania as the nights are so much longer than during summer. Australis takes you on an amazing journey to the “uttermost end of the earth” on modern expedition cruise ships that ply the untamed wonderland at the bottom end of South America. The bright orange vessel has been an iconic piece of Hobart’s waterfront for 30 years. When she is not at work, she loves to spend time catching up with friends, looking for unusual fun activities, or working out behind the ‘barre’! Mr Wilkie understands the Aurora Australis, owned by P&O Maritime Services, is days away from being sold overseas, or worse still, broken up for scrap. Aurora Australis P&O Maritime owns, operates and manages a fleet of specialist vessels under long term customer contracts. Join us, for a one-off exploration of the isolated fjords and surprising wildlife of Tierra del Fuego in southernmost Patagonia. “Tasmanians have a very strong connection to the Aurora Australis,” Mr Wilkie said.
[citation needed] P&O sometimes charter the ship for other work during winter.

The vessel spends most winters in port in Hobart, Tasmania, as the AAD headquarters is in the nearby town of Kingston.
The Aurora Australis hits the water during its 1989 launch in Newcastle. It is on its way to Macquarie Island, about 1500km southeast of Tasmania, and it will retire on its return in two weeks. View more details. Aurora Australis is chartered by the AAD over the southern summer for research purposes, and to support the Antarctic bases operated by the AAD. Timing – Night is the best time to see the Aurora Australis in Tasmania. [citation needed] The Australian Antarctic Division’s famous research ship Aurora Australis departed on its final voyage this week.